India Becomes Missile Component Manufacturer

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India has been facing in recent years a shortage in military equipment assembly areas. This explains the fact that Indian industrial explosives maker Solar Industries India Ltd (SIIL) is developing a missile assembly facility in central India, which is expected to be completed by January next year.

According to defenseworld.net’s report, SIIL’s facility in Nagpur currently manufactures HMX and HMX based compositions like Octol, Oma and Okfol for high explosive anti-tank ammunition and missiles. It also manufactures propellants for BrahMos missile.

“Since we’re already manufacturing key components for missiles, we thought we should go a step ahead and develop a facility to integrate all the components to develop a complete missile,” the company’s Managing Director and CEO Manish Nuwal said.

The company that became the first to set up a plant for manufacturing the explosive HMX in the private sector, is aiming to produce components for the Pinaka rocket launcher at the new facility. “Currently we’re looking for missile assembling for ‘Pinaka’ rocket launcher. But any job related to rockets can be done and going forward missile integration as well,” Nuwal said, adding the transfer of technology agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is already in place. “Once the construction is completed, we will be able to proceed to the assembling,” he added. SIIL’s Chief Financial Officer Nilesh Panpalliya said that the firm plans on investing up to US$ 26.9m every year for the next 3-4 years to enhance its manufacturing capacities.